Reykjavík Grapevine - 06.08.2008, Page 32

32 | REYKJAVÍK GRAPEVINE | ISSUE 11—2008
DESTINATION
The boathouse was crowded with people put-
ting on wetsuits when a group of friends and I
arrived at Arctic Rafting’s countryside headquar-
ters, Drumbó Basecamp, for our rafting-trip down
Hvítá. Excitement filled the air as we rounded up
inside an old-school bus and drove to the glacier
river. Most of us had never been rafting before,
which is quite embarrassing as Hvítá is only a
one-and-a-half hour drive from Reykjavík. In re-
gards to difficulty, it is well suited for newcomers
to the sport and guides who know the river like the
back of their hands make sure you have nothing to
worry about.
After learning the basics, like how to use the
oar, we jumped into one of the inflatable boats.
We soon found out that paddling was not as easy
as our guide made it look and none of us was a
natural in the art of finding our rowing rhythm.
After some clumsy attempts, we finally got our
shit together and managed to carry out his orders.
“Left!” he yelled seconds before we dropped into
the first rapid. Our boat took a nice rollercoaster
jump but floated easily down the river, with ev-
eryone on board. A quick stop was made at the
“jumping rock”, a six-metre high cliff overlooking
the ice-cold river. To say that hitting the water was
refreshing would be an understatement.
As the river got wider the water became
calmer. What could have been a relaxing time to
enjoy the scenery soon turned into a war. With
newfound taste for the cold, people jumped from
one boat to the other trying to get as many over-
board as possible, so most of the remaining time
was spent fishing us up again.
Completely soaked it was nice to finally
relax in the sauna and afterwards, feast on the
amazing meal the Drumbó BBQ-masters grilled
for us. Dry and stuffed, with a cold beer in my
hand (there is a bar!), I couldn’t help thinking why
on earth I spend my weekends in the city. Raft-
ing down Hvítá might be bit dull for those seek-
ing hard-core white-water excitement, but with a
group of friends and a guide set to make the ex-
perience as entertaining as possible, it’s great fun
and a perfect start for beginners.
TOUR INfO
Arctic Adventures
www.adventures.is
Tel.: 562-7000
White-water Fun!
By steinunn JaKoBsDÓttir — photo By eLLi
Fly and discover
/ tel. 570 3030
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